1. Field of the Invention
The disclosed invention is related generally to the manufacture of knife blades, and in particular to blades manufactured employing metal injection molding and hot isostatic pressing.
2. Description of the Related Art
Among the commercial methods of manufacture of knife blades, the two most common are forging and stamping or blanking. In the first method, a steel blade is formed by a series of high pressure impacts to achieve a knife blank having a basic shape. The blank is then finished to remove extra material and impart a desired temper.
In the second method, a sheet of steel is subjected to a punching operation in which a blank having the desired shape is punched from the sheet. The blank is then ground to give it an edge, and other finishing steps are performed. Of the two methods, the first produces the higher quality blades, while the second is more economical.